Mousey
by CreativeChilde
Summary: Hermione intervenes in a fight between Draco and Harry with some unexpected consequences, especially upon her Time Turner. She ends up in 1970, 27 years into her past and right into the prime of Lucius Malfoy's life. Lucius OOC, with later explaination.
1. 1970

**Disclaimer: **I do not own anything in the Harry Potter universe nor am I writing this for money. I am merely writing this for you, my readers. Please show me love.

**A show of thanks**: to my Beta, Kels. hearts for you! Don't worry if i don't contact you often, I am like that, I write...terribly slowly... so... terribly... slooowly...

Right... Here it is!

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**Chapter One: 1970**

_It's just another stupid argument between Malfoy and Harry,_ Hermione reprimanded herself even as she rushed to step in the middle to make them both back off. _I should just let them fight and then I'll have peace while they're in the Infirmary._ She held her hands up, one in front of Malfoy, the other in front of Harry. Looking up, she was about to speak when she saw the end of a incantation fall from Harry's surprised lips, and her world suddenly went blue and black with smoke and pain.

That didn't mean she couldn't hear, of course. In fact, there was Ron's voice, screaming her name, and Harry's choking gasps. Malfoy's silence quickly vanished as he shouted that he didn't mean to hit _Hermione_. There was the sound of flesh on flesh that cut off his voice.

God, Ron, don't punch the git! she thought mildly, drifting farther into the black and blue world.

Time must have moved on because she was no longer outside where she and her friends had been walking. Oh no, she was in the Infirmary, there was that smell she recognized and the feel of the bed under her…

She opened an eye, peering through the haze of medicine and spell after-effects, and saw the solemn face of her Potions Master. God, what was Professor Snape doing here?

His dark eyes held something more than his usual indifference. She couldn't think what it was and that frightened her. She couldn't think? But thinking was all she could ever do!

She must have panicked, though, because he gently patted her arm and murmured to comfort her. His words sounded weird, though, it sounded like he said, "It's all right, Mousey, you'll be all right."

But that couldn't be what he said, for her name was Hermione. Yes, she was Hermione Granger. She was not "Mousey".

Then, like a yawn, the black opened up and swept her back into its throat.

Time flowed outside of her, though, and she awoke more clearly to see Ron and Harry sitting quietly beside her. Their faces were strangely pale and she thought they looked hilarious, with Ron's dark freckles like little cake crumbs all over his face, and Harry's green eyes shimmering and his face scrunched up like a toddler's face in a tantrum.

She reached out with a hand, though it felt as though it was made of marble, and she touched Ron's shoulder. He jerked and his whole face brightened, his mouth formed the words of her name, but she couldn't hear him. She was laughing and laughing, her eyes watering as she laughed.

Blackness opened again and swallowed her into its stomach, and her laughing died off.

--

She came to full awareness on a Sunday afternoon, eyes widening and lungs taking a full, deep breath for the first time in who knew how long. Hermione shot up and her hand reached for the nearest thing — Malfoy's hand.

She stared at him for a long time, his face a mixture of irritation and discomfort. Then it washed away behind the infamous Malfoy mask and he drew his shoulders back and lifted his chin. "Release my hand, Granger."

"Ah, hullo Malfoy." She laughed a little, squeezing his hand. "Good to see you're alive!"

The dark bruise on his cheek became more clear as he turned to look away from her. He pulled his arm to get away, but she did not release him. Her grip like iron shackles and her smile too wide and too pleasant for his comfort. "Yes, well…" He seemed unable to say any more.

She let go of his hand and leaned over further to pat his head. "Sorry that you got punched by Ron. At least it wasn't me hitting you this time!"

The ruddy tint of his blush made her giggle, which made him blush even further. He stood up, arms crossed and began to leave.

"Wait, Malfoy, why did you come?"

He stopped and glanced over at her, his face blank once again but his eyes furious. "My father demanded that I come and apologize to you. He told me that I had to sit here with you until you woke up and I could apologize. He even sent me a bloody Howler about it when I told him I wouldn't. So, here is my apology. I'm sorry, Granger."

He turned and walked away, then stopped again and said, without looking at her, "You better not tell anyone I apologized to you." Then he vanished out the door.

Hermione, smiling though she didn't really know why, lay back and giggled. Malfoy was so silly…

--

The potions she'd been given to help with her recovery wore off by the time that Ron and Harry were allowed to enter at dinner. Hermione was straightening her robes and sighing over her frizzy hair when they entered. Pomphrey had finally let her change into her own clothes and had given her the all clear.

Ron and Harry ran over to her. Harry grabbed her into a massive hug, Ron clapped her on the shoulders with an awkward blush as they both spoke at the same time.

"I thought you'd gone completely loony when you laughed at us! Don't you scare us like that, 'Mione! I don't know what we'd do without you!"

"I'm so sorry I hexed you, Hermione, I didn't mean to do that to you! It just happened so fast! I don't think I'll ever be able to say that curse again!"

"It's been torture this whole week you've been out! I swear, we wanted to spend every minute here and we could hardly sleep and we couldn't pay any attention in class, we were so worried!"

"I couldn't eat a darn thing, either!"

"Shush, you two! Sheesh! Let a girl breathe!" She smiled and pushed them back. Sheepishly, they smiled in return and shuffled away. She looked them up and down and her smile turned to a grin. "I'm sure glad to see you two. Was I really out for a week?"

They nodded. "Yeah, and everyone came to visit," Ron said, counting on his fingers. "Fred and George, Ginny, Neville, Luna, the rest of the Gryffindors. I heard that even Malfoy and Snape came to see you."

"_It's all right, Mousey, it's all right…"_

"Um, Hermione?"

She looked up at Harry. "Yes?"

"You spaced out for a moment, you all right?"

"Oh, yes, of course!" She gave them both individual and tight hugs. "I felt so weird during that week, I'll have to tell you some time. Now, Madam Pomfrey says that I can leave the Infirmary and eat dinner in the Great Hall, shall we go?"

With Ron on one arm and Harry on the other, Hermione was escorted to the Great Hall, where her return was greeted with a large cheer from the entire Gryffindor table. Hermione settled into her seat with a pleased smile and began to eat. She felt quite refreshed from that week of rest.

She glanced idly up at the staff table and saw Snape give her the tiniest of smiles before it vanished, making her believe it wasn't even there in the first place.

--

Hermione refused to deal with it again. She absolutely, positively refused to get involved. It had been two weeks since she left the Infirmary. Two nigh, perfectly peaceful weeks, where Harry and Ron did not bother Malfoy and Malfoy did not bother them.

And then, it was ruined.

She grit her teeth together as she walked away from her Care for Magical Creatures class and towards Hogwarts. Malfoy _just had to_ overhear Harry talking with Hagrid about his father. Malfoy _just had to_ butt his little ferret face in and declare that according to _his_ father, Harry's father had been an arrogant git. Harry _just had to_ retaliate by insulting Malfoy's father. They _just had to_ fight right in the middle of class, pulling out their wands and nearly hexing each other!

She was furious with them, absolutely furious, and the only way she knew that could help her calm down was to walk alone to her next class. Besides, she had to take the Time Turner out so she could relive that hour in Advanced Archaic Runes. She stopped by the lakeshore and glanced around. There was no one around in the immediate area, so she pulled out the gold necklace and sighed.

That magical attack of Harry's had hit her square in the chest, and she'd been frightened that it would ruin her Time Turner, but it hadn't. She'd been using it for the last two weeks without a single problem.

As she turned it, she couldn't help it but think about Harry and Malfoy's stupid argument. _Seriously, who even cares what happened in 1970? It was just a stupid year in the stupid past! So what if Harry's father was a git in the past? So what if Malfoy's dad was a prick? So what!?_ She put it to the back of her mind and sighed as she ended the thoughts with, _It was 1970! What their parents were like 27 years ago in Hogwarts __**didn't matter**__ that much!_

The pull of the Time Turner seemed…longer, but she didn't think it was that important. The Time Turner was a magical item, she shouldn't completely understand it, not yet, anyway. But when she arrived, it felt like she was falling …oh, wait a moment…she was falling!

The lake water was right under her, instead of several meters behind her. She didn't even have time to scream, just squeeze her eyes shut and regret not water proofing her books.

Then she was floating back up to the shore and was deposited softly on the ground. Kissing her books, she promised to water proof them as soon as she got back to her dorms. She then looked up at the sound of clapping and someone saying loudly, "Jolly good save there! Though I do regret not seeing that Gryffindor take a tumble into the lake!"

There was laughter and Hermione's eyes widened as she recognized the silver and green ties of the Slytherin house. Her eyes swept over the group, probably around her age, some of them female, most male, and all circled behind a handsome blonde with mercury eyes. He had his wand out.

He was so familiar; high cheekbones, haughty expression, thin face, too-good-for-you eyes…the only difference between the face she knew and this one was probably the hair. Yes, both were bleach blonde, but this one had longer hair, to his shoulders, and tucked behind his ears instead of short and slicked back.

The all too familiar blonde approached, knelt down in front of her, his wand put away now, and tipped her face up with a finger under her chin. "And who might you be, little Gryffindor?"

Hermione squeaked, covered her mouth and gawked all at the same time. There was no way. There was just no possible way. It could not be. It should not be.

But it was.

"Well?" He smiled, his face showing his amusement clearly, his fingers under her chin still. "Who are you?"

She squeaked again, unable to speak, unable to move. Trapped like a mouse in a corner with a quick cat looming before her.

"Hmm, Mousey, c'mon, speak." The rest of the crowd inched forward.

Slowly pulling her hands from her mouth, she gulped and asked, because this was the only way, the only way, she would ever know if she was right, "Are you Lucius Malfoy?"

And he beamed at her. "Yes, of course, who did you think I was, little Mousey?"

With Hermione's heart hammering wildly in her chest, her breath caught somewhere between her mouth and lungs and her mind frozen on the sudden realisation she was not where she should be, she fainted, her body falling forwards into Lucius's surprised arms.

**TBC**

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Please review! I want the love!


	2. Lucius Malfoy: 27 years earlier

**Disclaimer: **I do not own anything harry potter related. sorry. if i did... heh

**thanks**: impromptu beta-er TALZ! xD luff u man!

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**Chapter Two: **

**Lucius Malfoy: Twenty-Seven Years Earlier**

Hermione opened her eyes, blinking and rubbing them with the back of her hand. "Ron? Harry? Madam Pomphrey?" She sat up and looked around the room.

This was not the tidied and sparsely decorated Infirmary, neither was it the red and gold Gryffindor Common room. In fact, the colors around her were distinctly silver and green.

Hermione's eyes widened in shock as she covered her mouth to stifle her gasp as she realized, _I'm in the Slytherin common room! I have to get out of here before Malfoy or Parkinson or Crabbe and Goyle find me!_

Suddenly there was a shout from somewhere behind the couch. "The mouse is awake!"

Hermione spun around to see a stream of curious, but hardly showing it, Slytherins making their way over to her on the couch. None of them wore faces she immediately recognized, although several were familiar. For a second she thought she was dreaming. Then a bold blonde burst through the group and rushed over to her, followed by a lumbering companion.

"I go away for a second and she wakes up, ruining the scene entirely. Tell me Crabbe, why does this always happen to me?" The elegant young man sighed as he hurried around the couch.

"Well, Lucius…"

For a moment Hermione's mind broke and her jaw hung open. Oh yes, she had forgotten about that…

"Rhetorical!" Luciusdeclared with an upraised hand. Then he smoothly eased down to one knee and smiled at Hermione with genuine kindness. It was an expression that she'd never seen, and never expected to see, from him, Draco, or Mrs. Malfoy.

Then he clasped her hand in both of his and asked in a low voice full of compassion and care, "Mousey, are you alright?"

Hermione gaped at him.

Lucius tossed a warning glare over his shoulder, "Shoo! All of you! Let me talk to my Princess in peace!" With a few murmurs, the Slytherins dispersed.

_Princess!?_ Hermione found no voice for her shock. She did manage to pull her hand away and fiercely clutch the robe against her chest.

"Mousey…" He sat on the edge of the couch, still smiling at her. "I don't take many Griffindors into the Slytherin Common Room, only one before, in fact, but I've made another exception to the rule for you because I am utterly trapped under the spell of your charm." He looped a few strands of her hair around a finger and leaned in closer.

With an undignified squeak, Hermione jerked back, pressing into the arm of the couch and covering her mouth with her hands and the cloth scrunched in them.

Lucius was not to be deterred, however. "Never fear, my lovely queen, I am not some lowly brute that you have come across in your delightful wanderings, but I am of high class and noble birth. I am worthy of your attentions, I am sure, so if you would just tell me your name, my gentle love, and the name of your parents. I must owl them and tell them what a splendidly beautiful daughter they have given birth to! And I must know the name of the woman who commands my heart to flutter in my chest!"

For a moment, Hermione was sure she would wake up and find this to be some strange, obscure dream brought on by staying up too late and studying. Hermione took a few deep breaths, to calm herself and closed her eyes. Even if it was a dream, she still had to be rational. So Lucius Malfoy, wanted to know her name, but first she had to know when and where she was.

Uncovering her face, she looked back up into the anticipating face and lowered her hands to her lap. Clearing her throat she asked, "Could we… speak somewhere more private? There are some questions I have for you…" She gave him a hopeful smile.

Lucius grabbed up her hand and kissed the back of it possessively, "Of course my dear. Come." He helped her to her feet and wrapped the cloak around her shoulders. Then he offered her his arm.

Taking it, she gave a timid smile and tried, in vain, not to blush. She had not been treated like this even on the night of the Yule Ball! She glanced around the room and saw smug smiles from several Slytherins and dropped her gaze.

He led her from the common room to the hall outside. From there he took a left to a doorway hidden in the shadow of an alcove and then up a short but spiralling staircase. At the top of the stairwell he pushed in a few bricks and declared, "White fox."

The wall parted and opened to a dark room. Lucius guided them in. "Right this way, my fair lady."

Hermione instinctively clutched to his arm as they walked into the blackness. However, Lucius snapped his fingers and the torches blossomed into life. She gasped at the splendours and walked in as Lucius remained behind.

The front room, though sparsely furnished, was warm and inviting in the colors of brown and cream with a blush red carpet. There was a leather couch, an elegant fireplace, and a chess set out on the low table.

A pair of glass doors on the opposite wall shut off a balcony from the room, and there were two doors along the western wall. Pointing to the left one and then the right one, Lucius said, "A loo and a bedroom."

Then he walked in, turned about with his arms wide, and said, "How is this for private? Only a select few even know of this room."

Hermione forgot herself and him for a moment as she was drawn to the bookshelves that covered about 85 of the walls. Her eyes were wide as she tentatively touched the spines of old books. They buzzed with magic.

Lucius chuckled and touched her shoulder. "Mousey?"

With a jerk she blushed and turned to him, remembering him in a moment, "Oh, yes… this will be fine…"

"Shall we go out to the balcony? It's a lovely evening," he murmured softly.

"Uh, alright." She followed as he opened the glass doors and walked to the balcony.

She walked to the stone parapet, putting her hands upon it as she looked out the grounds. The lake was larger than she remembered, the woods a little darker, the sky a little clearer and there was a path to the greenhouse. It was a series of steppingstones, as though the grass around were an ocean. Another path was being worn down towards the edge of the forest, where a neat and obviously new hut. "Hagrid's here…" she murmured, clenching her hands instinctively.

"Hmm? Oh yes, he's the Gameskeeper." Lucius replied, "He's been here forever. Almost as long as the headmaster."

She turned to face Lucius. "And who is the headmaster?"

"Albus Dumbledore, of course." Lucius shrugged.

Hermione sighed in relief. With Dumbledore around, she could easily get out of this fix without too much damage. That is, if it was more than a dream.

"But he's away on some sort of sabbatical," Lucius continued.

Hermione groaned. "No he can't be gone!"

"What's the problem Mousey?" Lucius edged closer.

"Mr. Malfoy, what year is it?" Hermione spun around to face him, only a little startled to find him barely a foot away.

However, Lucius was more surprised with how she addressed him. "Mousey, please, call me Lucius."

She jut out her chin and replied, "I will not. Now answer me, what year is it?"

Lucius conceded with a sigh. "1970."

Hermione covered her eyes with a hand. "Oh no…" Then she proceeded to pinch her arm. "This has got to be a dream. A weird dream from staying up late on that paper in Potions. I have to be asleep in the library or something!"

Lucius pulled her arms apart and the touch jolted her eyes open again, as did his words. "Stop hurting yourself! You're not dreaming, you can't be. If anyone is dreaming it's me! Though I don't know why I couldn't have had this dream ages ago!"

"Well then something crazy happened because I'm not supposed to be here! I haven't even been thought of yet! Don't you understand Mr. Malfoy? I'm not from around here!"

"Nonsense, you knew about Hagrid. People from around here know about Hagrid!"

She shook her head, her hair wildly flung about her. Then she said firmly, "No, not from this _time_. Don't you get it? I'm in my past, your present. I was born in 1980, I'm twenty seven years into my past! Mr. Malfoy, let go of my arms, you're hurting me!" She tried to pull away but Lucius dragged her closer to him.

He was staring into her eyes; his grey ones confused but she could sense the speed of the thoughts that ran in his mind. "The future?" his voice was soft and his breath brushed against her shoulder. He stared at her in wide-eyed wonder. "You're from the future?"

"Yes. Please, Mr. Malfoy…"

"Call me Lucius."

"Mr. Malfoy…"

He leaned in closer, his nose nearly touching hers. Hermione's heart fluttered in her chest from _alarm_ she told herself, not from some sort of attraction. Of course not, Malfoy was an old man, near his forties, if not in it.

_Not here, he isn't. He's obviously 17, Hermione. Besides, he's been very charming…_

"Call me Lucius, please."

With a blush, Hermione looked away and whispered, "Please let go of my arms, Lucius…"

He did so with a smile, releasing her arms to cup her face in his hands. He still was close, smiling and murmuring, "Tell me your name, little future mouse."

She pushed him away, backing into the parapet, steadying herself against the cold stone. "I don't know if I should. I mean, everything I do could effect my future. What would happen if I returned home and Harry was in Slytherin or Snape was happy and nice or something horrible like that!"

"Are you sure you can get back?" Lucius's words stopped her thoughts dead in their tracks.

"What?" She felt the pressure of tears in her eyes already. "What do you mean am I sure? Of course I have to go back! Harry needs me! Ron needs me! The Order needs me!" She clapped her hands over her mouth as those last words blurted from her lips. Tears began to stream down her cheeks.

"No no, don't cry." Lucius rushed over to her, putting an arm around her and wiping her cheeks with a cloth. "No, Mousey, I'm sorry. Don't cry. Please, my love, hush."

"Stop calling me that!" She pushed away again. Lucius reluctantly let her go. "Stop calling me 'love' and 'princess'! You don't even know me!"

"Mousey, tell me your name then."

"I can't!" she shouted. "I might muck up the timeline! I can't tell you my name!" She furiously wiped away her own tears and then began to hold them back.

"Look," Lucius held out his hands, "what do I have to do to assure you I won't mess up the timeline? That whatever I did in your past is what I do in my future. An oath, a promise? What? Just name it Mousey. Anything to assure you."

Hermione stared at him. "Are you sure?"

He nodded earnestly. "Of course."

"Well, I…" Hermione looked uncertain. "I can't be sure… I mean… you're a Slytherin…"

"What do you need, Mousey?" Lucius swept down to his knees in front of her, taking her hands in his and clutching them tightly. "What do you need from me to be sure of my words?"

Her mind whirled. "I…"

"I will do anything. A Blood Oath, an Unbreakable Vow, anything at all." He squeezed her hands tightly.

Hermione closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Pulling her hands out of his grip, her thoughts settled. She opened her eyes. "I really hate this option but since I won't do any dark magic like that, this will have to do. You have to be completely honest with me when you do this, alright?"

He nodded.

"You have to tell me something personal, something you don't want anyone to know. So I'll keep that secret if you can keep mine. Alright?" Hermione's conscience shouted _T__his is wrong! This is just as bad as dark magic, you know it!_

"Blackmail, you mean."

She blushed furiously. "Well don't just say it like that!" she looked away.

Lucius stood. She looked at him and blushed even more. He smiled, cupped her face in her hands and murmured, "I'd tell you anything you want to hear, my sweet princess."

Hermione pulled away. She had to remember that he was a narcissistic, power hungry Slytherin only looking for a good laugh with her. She could not afford to let herself react to his attentions.

"All right, then tell me something."

"Sit here with me first," he gently tugged on her arm. There was a bench against the wall that she hadn't noticed before.

They sat, turned towards each other. Lucius took one of her hands but she pulled it away. Lucius gave her a patient smile and pulled his wand from his sleeve. With a quick wave and a murmur of a spell, he set up privacy wards and then slipped his wand back up his sleeve.

"First," he began, holding up a finger, "try not to interrupt me, alright? Just listen and it will make sense why I'm telling you this."

Hermione nodded.

Lucius cleared his throat and looked out over the balcony. "Well, I'll start with six years ago. My father met with me in his office. He sat me down and asked me when I was going to get serious about the Malfoy name and honour.

"I told him that I had little thought for that now. I said I was just a child and why should it matter to me?

"He replied saying that once I stepped foot outside the mansion I was an icon for the family." Lucius shook his head slightly. "It disgusted me, to be seen like that. And I got horribly upset.

"The rumour I started at school was that we had an altercation. That I told him to go to hell and he threatened to disown me. Rumour says that my mother had to step in and stop us and that she had to be the liaison between us. Everyone believes this because my father is said to have a terrible temper."

He sighed and smirked. "The truth is that I got mad, of course, but my father did not. He listened to my rant of becoming a figurehead and being trapped and having no childhood. I thought it was unfair for him to take all seven years of freedom and destroy them.

"Now, Father does have a temper but never with me or mother for he loves us dearly. He told me so then. He told me we could make a deal if I, at the age of eleven could realize that I was still a child and should behave as such. He said that at the same time I was a man and we could make a man's deal."

Lucius ran a hand through his hair. "I sat down, calmed down, and we worked out a deal. The moment I got to Hogwarts I had freedom - complete freedom - from him, the family name, everything. I can do anything I wish here for seven whole years.

"Seven years of freedom, he said. And seven years I have. After that I have to think of the family and of the Malfoy honour and name. He told me he and his father had a similar deal when he was eleven." Lucius laughed. "It is amazing what children do not know about adults!"

He closed his eyes, stopped laughing and then smiled. Opening his eyes he asked, "I've never told that to anyone. Everyone believes we're just fighting and that tension runs high between us at home. But we are really a close family. We love each other and we know it. However, if others knew how strong the familial bond was, if some people though that my actions were of freedom from a deal and not rebellion..." Lucius shrugged. "Well some things would be different. It would be more dangerous for me and my family. There are people who do not like my parents much and might try something if they didn't think we were suffering already in our family.

"Do you get it? Is that enough? If this got out my family could be in trouble. This is why I told you that."

Hermione nodded.

Lucius sighed. "Good…will you tell me your name now? Will you tell me of yourself?" He slid closer to her, taking her hands in his again.

"Alright, but you there's parts you won't like and won't believe." Hermione tried to pull her hands away. Lucius resisted and pulled her hands up, kissing their backs.

Hermione looked away, turning deep red.

"Anything you tell me I will believe, my sweet." Then he set her hands down.

She cleared her throat. "My name is Hermione Granger, I'm from the year nineteen ninety-seven (1997) and I think I got here because of this, a Time Turner." She pulled it out from under shirt and held it out for him to see. The gold artefact glittered in her palm.

Lucius touched it with a curious finger then looked into her eyes and nodded. "Go on."

Hermione did so, easily slipping into the ever-so-familiar lecture mode. She told him pieces of the future, of the Time Turner, of Lucius' future wife and Draco. She told him of some political things and of Voldemort. As she spoke, she wished she could guarantee him to be a spy in the future and to help with the light side but… she knew that would change the future too much.

When she wound down, she ended by saying, "And you can't do anything that could change the future."

His voice was ice when he responded, "What are you talking about?"

"You have to do everything like you would if you didn't know any of that, so the future is the same when I return."

"I can't."

"You have to."

He stood. "I won't! All that… being a _Death Eater_? You want me to kill people? To torture them when I know what I'm doing is wrong and will cause so much suffering in the future?" His voice rose to a hoarse shout.

Hermione stood as well. "You have to! You promised me. You gave me your word!"

"According to you, my word doesn't matter!"

"I don't know you in the future, Mr. Malfoy, you could have been pretending because that future would be after this past where I've ended up but… Argh! Don't you see? It's confusing, but it has to be done! You have to pretend for as long as you can when you get out of Hogwarts. You have to be the same person that you were going to be before I showed up here."

He turned away from her. "I'm such a horrid person in the future…"

"Yes… and I wish you could change all that with what I've told you, but I don't know what it would change."

He turned back around. "I know one thing that would change. I wouldn't marry that woman and raised that horrible Draco child. I would have waited all my life to be with the one I truly love." He looked directly at her as he spoke.

"Don't say that!" Hermione shouted, nearly frantic. "You have to marry Narcissa and have Draco so he and Harry can fight! Draco brings out the best and worst in Harry, he needs him in the future! You have to marry Narcissa!"

"I will not love her. I will not love him." Lucius spoke quietly, "I know I could never love them."

"You have to marry her and have him anyway. It is what's supposed to happen." Hermione said stiffly, "You have to."

"You keep saying that…"

"Well it's…"

He put up his hand, looking at her steadily as he whispered, "You ask something impossible, Hermione. To marry without love on purpose when I know the one I love and have lost my heart to her. To raise a child without any love for him because my love is stolen away by the most beautiful girl I've ever seen… To live without the love, to go through hell, and put others through it, with the tentative hope of getting that love in the distant future..." He shook his head slowly and sighed. "You ask something that is impossible."

"It has to be done."

He closed his eyes and nodded. "Tell me to do it."

"I already did…"

"Tell me again! Hermione, tell me this is what you need me to do!" His body shook.

Hermione hugged herself, feeling inexplicably cold. "I need you to act like you never heard what I told you, Lucius Malfoy, so my future, and yours, remains intact. You have to do it, you have no choice and neither do I. Will you do it?"

Lucius let out a wry chuckle with a shake of his head. "You just said I have to. Will I? Of course. But I will hate every moment of it…"

Hermione sighed. "As long as the future remains intact…"

"Of course." Lucius repeated softly.

**TBC...**

**of course**

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Well? i updated. please shoot up a review, readers, and send it down the email tube. xD groovy


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